Under The Full Moon

In Safety's Arms

As Broin had promised, he gave Gale a week to settle in. At first, he didn't think that much was going to change, her sullen behavior remaining for a couple of days before she began to relax. Before long, the young woman had taken to helping Snow. If Broin couldn't find her, all he had to do was look for Snow. Gale could be found helping her clean and cook, or they would be sitting at the edge of the village. The laughter that came from the two of them could be heard in the marketplace as well. No matter where they were, the wolf followed. It was as though the animal took to protecting the two women when Broin wasn't around. This was something that settled Broin's mind, especially when the two wandered to the edge of the village. Thinking about the wild animals in the forest, it was nice to have that peace of mind.

Broin woke from a doze, sitting up a little when something reached his ears. The sound was a soft whimper that reached his ears and made his chest tighten a little. He and Gale had returned home after a long day of helping the villagers and had gone to bed. Gale lay beside him with her back was him. At some point during the night, she had turned over and curled herself up tight into a ball. When he set a hand on her shoulder, he could feel that she was trembling. "Gale?" He whispered to her, gingerly shaking her shoulder. Gale woke with a start, jumping up so hard that even the wolf jumped to her paws. The animal watched Broin, her amber eyes intense and her ears flattened back. "Easy..." He whispered to both the wolf and Gale. He didn't want an incident with the wolf thinking she had to protect Gale. The way she was watching him made him realize that if he hadn't said something to her, she might have acted on that exact thought. Slowly, he looked from the she-wolf to Gale when she showed signs that she was settling back down. "I'm right here," Broin's words seemed to register in Gale, though the expression on her face made him wonder if she knew she was having a nightmare.

She looked dazed, almost clueless as to what was going on. Lifting a hand, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she moved to sit up, uncurling her legs from beneath her as she moved. "Is everything alright?" She asked, sleep thick on her voice. Broin moved his hand away from Gale's shoulder, watching her curiously. If he had woken from a nightmare as she had, he would remember it for sure. It was strong enough to have her balled up and whimpering in fear. However, he didn't push it. If it was something she didn't want to discuss, he wouldn't ask.

"Yeah... you were having a nightmare," Broin responded, resting his hand in his lap as he left his words right there. He didn't want to risk upsetting her, especially if she didn't seem to remember the nightmare at all. The young woman yawned, lowering her hand to look up at him. Her dazed expression became confused for a moment before she nodded, looking down at the soft hide blanket they had been laying under. Something crossed her face, but Broin didn't ask. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Gale said with a sigh. Broin shook his head, moving his hand to rest it softly on the back of Gale's head. She lifted her gaze to meet Broin's eyes with her own. For a moment, the two of them sat this way, Broin's fingers softly brushing over the back of her head. He had braided her long hair for her before they went to bed, his own tucked back into a low ponytail. After a moment passed, Gale moved to tuck her face into the space between Broin's neck and shoulder. Shifting a little, Broin sat so he could hold her a little better. 

"You didn't wake me up. I was already kind of awake," Broin said softly. He didn't want her worrying about waking him up on top of whatever it was that was already causing nightmares. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked her, shifting a little to look at her. Gale lifted her head, her purple-blue eyes searching his face. For a moment, it made him feel like it had been the first time he had held her and looked into her eyes. Then again, just about every time she looked at him the way she was now felt like the first time. He found himself hoping that it stayed that way. Something about Gale's eyes always drew him in and left him feeling like he was standing in the middle of the forest with only Gale at his side. 

"Yes. I just wanted to be close to you," Gale responded, her hushed voice pulling him back to reality. Smiling softly, Broin watched her before he drew his hand from where it rested against her soft hair to her cheek, leaning in to kiss her softly as he did so. Instead of the simple, tender return that Gale usually gave, Broin was surprised to feel her lean into the kiss, her hand settling against his chest making him feel as though a wave of electricity moved through him from her fingertips. Moving his hands from where he had placed them on her back and cheek, he lightly grabbed Gale by the waist and lifted her into his lap, his hands finding their place against her lower back.

When he moved her, he could feel Gale's hand move from his chest. The warmth of her palm came to rest behind his neck at the base of his skull, the sensation causing a wash of goosebumps flooding over his skin, while Gale's kisses left him feeling a little breathless. When she drew back from him, Broin opened his eyes and looked up at her, watching her in the dim light of the room. Smoothing his hands from her lower back to rest on her arms, Broin felt Gale shiver slightly at his touch. "Stop me if this is too much," Broin whispered, smiling some as Gale bumped her nose to his own. This was a form of affection she had grown accustomed to in her dragon form. The fact that it carried over into her human form made him adore her that much more. Instead of stopping him, Gale moved her free hand to rest against his cheek, her thumb brushing over his cheek as she leaned in for another kiss. 

Outside, the stars had reached their fullest. The moon was like a shining silver coin in the sky, washing over everything below it with a silver light that made the world glow. Ringing around the moon, the light caused a misty halo effect, giving the moon the illusion of having rays of light like the sun through clouds. The world was still, calm. The only sounds were those of gentle breezes and the rustling of leaves outside of the village, and the distant call of an owl perched somewhere in the forest.